Diptyque - Vetyverio

Le déjeuner sur l'herbe

Diptyque's new perfume, Vetyverio, is named for the star ingredient vetiver, a grass whose extracted oil has a woody/earthy smell. It's commonly used in perfumes, especially masculine ones. But the perfume house Diptyque refuses the restriction of  gender categories for its perfumes. According to their website, Vetyverio combines vetiver with rose to create a fragrance that is "both masculine and feminine."

They're right that this could be easily worn by a man or woman, but vetiver and rose aren't the main notes I smell in Vetyverio. If they are, they have combined to create something completely different than what I was expecting.

Vetyverio is a fruity-wood perfume. In the beginning I smell grapefruit, mandarin and cedar. The citrus fruit turns into a more plummy/berry fruit. Maybe it's the rose that is fruity? The cedar continues through the perfume.

In the middleVetyverio finally develops more of a vetiver feel, with an earthy-wood note and gentle spices. The drydown has lots of dry cedar, with a faint hint of plum and earth. It's very easy to wear.

Art History Sidebar

When trying to come up with an image for "fruit, woods, earth, grass" I thought of still-lifes and picnics. The perfect painting is Le déjeuner sur l'herbe by Édouard Manet. Like Diptyque, Manet refused to be confined by restrictions. His painting was rejected for the famous Paris Salon and was exhibited at the Salon des Refusés, It was considered a bit of a scandal because of the nude woman conversing with the (contemporary) clothed men. If he had painted it in a classical setting instead of a contemporary one they probably wouldn't have had a problem, but Manet meant to stand up for artistic freedom.  

A picnic in the woods, fresh fruit spilled on to the grass, and masculine and feminine conversation, and a free spirit make this painting is a perfect illustration for Vetyverio.

House: Diptyque
Nose: Olivier Pescheux
Notes:
Top: mandarin, grapefruit, lemon and bergamot
Middle: ylang-ylang, rose and geranium and spices such as carrot seed, nutmeg and clove
Base: dry cedar, vetiver and musk.

Painting: Édouard Manet Le déjeuner sur l'herbe